Blog Post

Press releases are often seen as a thing of the past, alongside print media and pay phones. But they’re not. While print media (aside from premium magazines) may be struggling, and pay phones are disappearing as we speak, the press release is a proud and powerful tool for both the budding and experienced company looking for some form of media exposure and instant SEO benefits.

Now, all that being said, it’s understandable why some might think the press release is outdated or just simply not worth your time. The reason for that is because when you go through the Internet looking for the latest in content marketing, you’ll hear all about specialized keyword research and targeted content, big social media campaigns, data analysis for viral marketing and more.

The problem is that most companies that are interested in not just one but all of those forms of content marketing are typically not the ones that have little left in their budget for a marketing plan. They also have access to a network of bloggers and journalists with whom they can get direct access to the mainstream news through news releases and related media.

In the past, if you weren’t big enough to make it to such big streams of content like the television and radio, you’d be hard pressed to be anything more than a local business. But with the Internet, everyone gets an even bigger shot at the big leagues, and leveraging the Internet – and press releases – is a big part of that.

What is a Press Release?

A press release is a piece of content written in a news style to convey the announcement of a recent event – either in the past, future, or an ongoing event – with a subtle call to action (or not, depending on how strict your chosen publication or distributor is.

They have to be interesting, they have to catch the eye, and SEO is as big a part of press release writing as it is for blog article writing and web content writing. That, then, is an introduction into:

Why Press Releases Matter

Aside from the SEO benefits of having more branded content out there, the location of a press release matters an awful lot. It’s all good and well to have a press release, but you don’t just want to share it on your blog and social networks, and have that be that. Instead, what you really need is a distribution networks. Plenty of distribution networks cater specifically to startups, small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to target clients everywhere or locally as per their preference.

Distribution networks like DatSyn let you upload the details of a news release into a system that then syndicates the data all across a network of news websites, all over the world – getting you a huge boost in traffic through a quality, reputable press release.

Aside from the location benefits and the SEO benefits in having your business appear all over the web in unique websites, press releases also offer you actual tangible benefits in the form of the content they offer. For example, sending a press release out to your customer base informs them of important upcoming and past events, letting you also create hype for new or upcoming products, and perhaps follow up on a past event in order to generate more discussion around your brand once again.

In short, while content marketing is important, you will need a place to put all that content. Your budding blog is a great idea, but you’ll only be able to do so much outreach with that and social media. You need something more – you need instant exposure. And that’s what press releases offer.